Can you hear the birds chirping? Can you sense the pollen all around (and see it coat your car)? Are you feeling the urge to clean your house from roof to tile? There are good reasons why: Spring is only three weeks away!

As you step into spring cleaning one messy drawer at a time, may we suggest you multi-task? Spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity to make a list of all the valuable (and not-so-valuable) items you own. We call it a making a home inventory.

If you ever needed to make an insurance claim, due to theft or natural disaster, you’ll want to have a comprehensive list of your belongings.

One easy way to get started is with the "Know your Stuff" home inventory software made available through the Insurance Information Institute. Your home inventory list should include jewelry, furniture, artwork, collectibles, cameras, electronics, appliances, clothing, kitchenware, linens, tools, and basically anything else you have purchased. Look outside, too, and make note of your lawn equipment, grill, trailer and boat.

There are plenty of apps out there that can help you list and categorize every item you own, or you can go it alone.

This is a good time to be slow and methodical. Work on one room at a time, take photos or video of your big ticket items, and make detailed notes, including:

Description, make and model

Purchase date and price

Estimated current value

Unless you have something especially valuable, you don’t need to list each item of clothing. Instead, you can categorize them – for instance, 15 pair of slacks, 20 dress shirts, 13 dresses, 12 pair of shoes, etc.

Scan or copy your receipts, if you have them. And start keeping receipts for new items.

Whether you created a physical document or an electronic file, make a copy and store it offsite – at a friend’s house, in your office, or in an online storage account

A complete list of your belongings will give you peace of mind, speed up insurance claims, and maximize your insurance reimbursement.

Knowing how much stuff you have, and how much it’s worth, will also help you understand how much insurance you should purchase.

If you need help determining the right amount of insurance to meet your needs, call Ryan Insurance & Financial Services for a free policy review at 386-738-2000. We're here to help!